In commemoration of Black History Month, we remember faithful women who found lasting strength and unwavering courage in their faith in Jesus, helping them endure hardship and opposition in their mission to be champions of dignity and equality for all people. Get inspired by a glimpse into the lives of seven Christian black women motivated by Biblical truth to make a difference in the church and society.
Phillis Wheatley (first African American published poet, c. 1753-1784)
Phillis Wheatley’s famous poems were rich in theological truth and advocated equality for all people, regardless of skin color. Born around 1753 in West Africa, Phyllis was torn from her home at the age of seven and sold to slave traders. She was purchased by John Wheatley, a wealthy merchant from Massachusetts, who gave her his last name. Recognizing her keen intellect, the Wheatley family gave her a rigorous education, supported her literary abilities, and finally released her in 1773. Growing up in the Wheatley household, Phyllis was introduced to Christianity and converted at the age of 16. Phillis’ first collection of poems, Poems on Various Religious and Moral Subjects, was published in London in 1773 after being rejected by an American publisher. Although she quickly gained fame on both sides of the Atlantic, some people, including Thomas Jefferson, disdained her work because of her gender and ethnicity.
Throughout his short life, Wheatley used Biblical symbolism and literary techniques to persuade Christians of the need to abolish slavery. In his most famous poem, “On Being Brought to America from Africa,” Wheatley challenges readers to consider black Christians as equal recipients of salvation.
Sojourner Truth (abolitionist and women’s rights activist; 1797-1883)
A gifted orator, Sojourner continually advocated for the abolition of slavery and equal rights for women. Born Isabella in New York’s Hudson River Valley, the future activist spent 30 years as a slave before escaping a cruel owner and seeking refuge with Isaac and Maria Van Wagenen, a couple who bought her freedom for just $20. Their kindness and faith influenced Sojourner, and her early faith was firmly established after a dream in which she felt the love of Jesus. After moving to New York City, she became a speaker for the religious revival movement, changing her name to Sojourner Truth in 1843 in response to her call to preach the gospel and speak out against slavery. Encouraged by prominent abolitionists to tell her story, she dictated her autobiography, True Story of a Sojourner, in 1850 (although she never learned to read or write). In 1851, she gave her most famous speech, “Isn’t the IA a woman?” challenged common beliefs that promote racial and gender inequality;
The legacy of Sojourner, a strong black Christian woman who demonstrated great courage in the face of the horrors of slavery, continues to inspire generations. Her beliefs and beliefs were often woven into speeches and poems such as “The Deadly Sin of Color Prejudice.” A charismatic speaker, she enthusiastically asked her audience: “Children, who made your skin white? Wasn’t it God? Who made my skin black? Wasn’t it the same God? Am I to blame just because my skin is black? Does not despising some of His children cast blame on our Creator, for He willingly gave them black sin? And did not the same Savior die to save one, but the other?”
Harriet Tubman (abolitionist, ca. 1822-1913)
Harriet Tubman’s belief in the saving power of prayer inspired a nation. Born into slavery in Maryland around 1820, Harriet not only escaped slavery, but also helped hundreds of other African Americans gain freedom through her work on the Underground Railroad. She was given the nickname “Moses” because she led all the people she led in the north to freedom and safety from bondage. She also served as the first female leader of an armed expedition during the Civil War, leading the Combahee Ferry Raid, which freed more than 700 enslaved people. In her later years, she actively participated in the women’s suffrage movement.
Tubman was a woman of deep faith who experienced the power of God firsthand. Modern biographer Sarah Bradford says that miraculous answers to prayers “never seemed strange or mysterious to her. Her prayers were prayers of faith and she expected answers.”
Mary McLeod Bethune (educator, civil rights activist; 1875-1955)
Mary McLeod Bethune was the most influential black woman of the 20th century due to her extensive work providing educational opportunities for all people. The daughter of a freed slave, Mary was undaunted by the obstacles and abuse she faced during her education. Seeking further education, she attended the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago. The only black student on campus, Mary excelled in academics and spiritual leadership. After graduating, she was deeply disappointed when the mission board did not appoint her as a missionary to Africa because she was black. Instead, she focused her attention on meeting the spiritual, educational, and physical needs of America’s black children. With a strong belief in God’s calling and just $1.50, she founded the Daytona Literary and Industrial Training Institute for Black Girls on October 3, 1904, which later became Bethune-Cookman University. She helped found the United Negro College Fund, was a member of President Roosevelt’s “Negro Cabinet,” and helped integrate the Red Cross.
Mary’s deep faith was embedded in all her endeavors. “There is a dire need among us for women qualified for moral and Christian leadership. The Bible is important in every branch of our work. It is the guide to our lives,” she wrote about the university’s purpose. In their history of Bethune-Cookman University, the authors conclude that “spiritual strength, racial pride, racial harmony, and faith in America’s potential were at the heart of Bethune’s beliefs and advocacy.”
Mahalia Jackson (gospel singer, civil rights activist, 1911-1972)
Mahalia Jackson, known as the Queen of Gospel, used her voice to promote civil rights. The granddaughter of slaves who worked on rice and cotton plantations, Mahalia was born in New Orleans and moved to Chicago during the Great Migration, a term used to refer to the large movement of black southerners north to escape Jim Crow laws and find fair employment opportunities. Released in 1947, “Move on Up a Little Higher” quickly became a best-selling gospel single, bringing national and international recognition. She is also known for singing “I Have Been Condemned and Scorned” before Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech at the March on Washington on August 28, 1963.
Mahalia turned down lucrative offers to sing in nightclubs (or other venues she deemed inappropriate for a gospel singer), and she also turned down opportunities to sing in front of segregated audiences. In 1964, Mahalia wrote about her beliefs and reasons for singing, “Using the gifts God has given me to sing old spiritual songs for people all over the world has been of great personal help to me.To help give people faith, not just to be an entertainer or a star, that is the most important thing I can do.Gospel songs are songs of hope and faith.”
Fannie Lou Hamer (civil rights activist; 1917-1977)
Fannie Lou Hamer rose from poverty to become a respected champion of civil rights and voting rights. Born the 20th child of poor sharecroppers in Mississippi, Hamer began picking cotton at the age of six. Her formal education ended in the sixth grade and she began working as a timekeeper on a cotton plantation. In 1961, doctors performed a total hysterectomy without her permission instead of removing a small tumor, a common practice in the South to reduce the black population. In 1962, she organized a group of 17 black volunteers to go to the courthouse to register to vote. She was denied the opportunity to register, was fined for riding a bus deemed too yellow, and was fired from her job and had her home confiscated as a result of her advocacy. Motivated by the Biblical truth that all people are children of God, she co-founded the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, helped lead the civil rights movement, and launched the Freedom Farm Cooperative, which helps black farmers develop cooperatives that provide affordable housing and economic opportunity.
Known for regularly breaking into gospel songs, one of Fanny’s favorites was “This Little Light of Mine,” a song she learned as a girl in a Baptist church. Another song related to Fanny was born out of terrible suffering. In June 1963, as she lay in her cell after being assaulted, she asked her female cellmate to sing the lyrics to “Walk with Me” all night to give her strength back and remind her that God was with her. Author Jemar Tisby wrote of Fanny, “She used her knowledge of the Bible to develop a sophisticated political theology that led her to become one of the most notable activists of the civil rights era.”
Latasha Morrison (Modern Racial Reconciliation Advocate)
Latasha Morrison is a compelling contemporary voice calling on the church to pursue racial unity and reconciliation based on Biblical principles. A native of North Carolina, he grew up knowing he was a descendant of sharecroppers. Latasha’s experiences with racial insensitivity in school and church, and learning more about America’s black history in an African American history class in college, led her to explore the role of the church in addressing racial issues. After college, she held several corporate positions and worked on the staff of predominantly white churches in Georgia and Texas, which helped her find her calling. In discussing contemporary expressions of racism and discrimination with white friends and colleagues, she started a discussion group on racial reconciliation. These groups led her to found Be the Bridge in 2016, “an organization dedicated to bringing the reconciling power of the Gospel to America’s racial divide.”
In fact, Be the Bridge is made up of more than 1,000 groups in five countries that engage people of all ethnicities to initiate respectful dialogue, build interracial and intercultural relationships, and help the church move toward racial reconciliation as a culturally influencing force. In her book Be The Bridge, Latasha writes that change is possible when Christians “recognize the truth of racial history… lament injustice… confess sin for God to heal… reach out for forgiveness… repent and turn from sin… seek restorative reconciliation… (and) bring reconciliation to others in (God’s) name.”
Read more about Black History Month:
The importance of Black History Month for Christians
celebrate black history month
Photo credit: ©GettyImages/DisobeyArt
Lisa M. Samra earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Texas and a master’s degree in biblical studies from Dallas Theological Seminary. Lisa currently lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan with her husband and children. She leads the Jerusalem Project at Calvary Church. This project is a ministry focused on partnering with local churches, training people for ministry, and planting new churches. She is a regular contributor to Crosswalk.com, Our Daily Bread, and her work has also appeared in various publications and online sites. Lisa enjoys good coffee, running, and reading, but not all at the same time.
